Spotting, cramping, painful sex - thoughts appreciated

[harveyfizz]

Hi all,

I'm new to this so my apologies first if I break any forum rules.

I'm 26, and I've been having some personal symptoms that are causing me some concern. I feel in the boat that many of us are in with health anxiety, where I have a lot of symptoms which could quite easily be nothing - or something sinister...

For the last year, roughly, I've been having painful sex. Sometimes there's a deep pain, but it's more of a burning pain during and after, which nearly always stings when I go to the toilet after. On occasion there has been spotting - not every time, and not heavy, but a few times. I've also noticed some very light, and infrequent, spotting between periods. I've also been noticing more frequent discharge - nothing in itself to cause alarm, but just more of it. It may be worth adding that over the last year I have had some bouts of thrush.

In the last few months I have started to have pelvic pain - quite a lot of the time I have that feeling that I'm coming on my period, that heavy crampiness. Nothing severe, or worsening, but just a bit annoying.

I've also started to have back pain at times - not constant and not severe, but more like the occasional twinge in my lower back. Sometimes when I walk a particularly long way, or stand for too long, my lower back will really hurt for a few seconds when I lie down, which makes me think it's more of a posture/alignment thing. But I do feel pressure in my lower back at times.

And for the last four or five months I've been having really odd leg pains - sometimes in one calf, sometimes both, sometimes in my feet, or just above my knees. No swelling, redness or heat and not hugely painful. I can go weeks without any pain, and then have a run of a few days where I'm very conscious of it. A nurse gave me blood tests for a few bits and it all came back clear. I sense that it may be anxiety related, but it is obviously linked to cervical cancer too.

I've had three swabs this year for STIs, all clear. I had a smear test in July which came back HPV positive (for the second year), but no abnormal cells.

I do suffer digestive issues, and while I haven't been diagnosed with IBS I'm pretty confident I have at least a mild case. I do the FODMAP diet occasionally to ease symptoms. I also have acid reflux, which I manage through lifestyle.

I have booked a phone appointment with my doctor to talk about a possible referral, but was hoping to get any thoughts or help as to whether it might be something, or whether I'm possibly linking unrelated symptoms, and letting my anxiety play them up.

Thank you in advance

[AntsyVee]

Well, it sounds like you are doing the right thing. I definitely would stay on the course ruling things out. Painful sex is not something is you should have to live with.


Have you been tested for vaginal bacteria?

[Missjensen]

Do you get wet enough when having sex ?? I sounds very dry to me, with the type of pain you describe plus the spotting afterwards.

[harveyfizz]

Yes have been tested for BV - I've had plenty of cases of thrush so I wonder sometimes whether it's the hangover from that.

And yes I do also wonder re the wet thing - I'm sure that feeling so anxious and stressed beforehand doesn't do me any good.

[Hopefull4567]

Hi just 2andered how things were and what it was

[AlwaysAfraid11]

I just had surgery yesterday to remove 3 cysts off my ovaries as well as some pretty intense endometriosis from both ovaries.
I’m happy to report the surgery was successful and they removed everything. None of which was sinister.

I had similar symptoms to what you’re describing. So it could be cysts? They’re actually really common in women and not sinister at all.
It’s a good idea to get it checked out. I know that it’s really hard not to worry, but try to keep calming thoughts. Are bodied are so complex and not everything that goes wrong is necessarily severe

[ErinKC]

Have you had an ultrasound to check for fibroids? Painful sex was the first sign for me.